Prom Sucks
by Saudastic
Summary: Shino dislikes prom, but when his friend Hinata asks him to do her a favor, he can't help but get dragged into going. ShinoHina AU in High School. Rated T for language.
1. A Favor

I hate this time of year. It is now April in Konoha High and, as all students were blatantly aware, prom is lurking just around the corner. Even though I was considered eligible to attend of my accord (I am a Junior, after all), I lacked any sort of inclination to go to that superficial event. That is, until _she_ aimed her pale lavender-tinged eyes at me and shyly asked.

It was two weeks prior to that damned high school cliché when it happened. I had just entered my chemistry class and had taken a seat beside my lab partner, Hinata Hyuga. I'm gonna be blunt here. I have a huge crush on that girl. She is just so damn…..cute. And it's not the varying kind of cuteness. In all of her moods and emotions, she exuded this quality of benevolence that I just find irresistible. She used to stutter around me all the time, but that diminished as she grew to trust m as a friend. I don't know why I like her so much, maybe it's just that the beautiful way in which her long, dark hair contrasts against her ivory skin. And the way she smiles, always with a slight blush…..I can't even describe how infatuated I get with her sometimes. Of course, I never let on that I was even remotely attracted to her. I was very skilled at hiding my emotions. It was just a quality that has always been integral to my personality.

Okay, so I may seem pretty talkative on paper, but that's really just my thought process. In reality, I maintain a calm, stoical demeanor. I rarely ever speak. I'm not quite sure why this is. Like I mentioned before, I keep most things (like my feelings) to myself. I suppose it's just a trait that I've developed over time.

Anyways, from the moment I sat down, I noticed how nervous Hinata looked. She was pushing her forefingers together and her eyes were averted from mine. I have a knack for understanding Hinata's mood from her mannerisms. She is so easy to read, if you just notice her for long enough.

"Hinata," I began, my voice monotonous. "What's troubling you today?" She blushed and glanced at me quickly before looking down again.

"It's just…." She muttered softly. "I need-"

"She needs your help, Shino!" Ino Yamanaka, a loud-mouthed girl in our class, popped spontaneously into our conversation. Ino kind of reminds me of a hurricane. She's unpredictable, loud, and everyone braces themselves to endure the storm whenever she arrives. Maybe that's just me really.

"She needs my….help?" I repeated, not comprehending.

"Y'see," Ino explained, taking on the role of Hinata's voice box. "Hinata has a HUGE crush-" Oh God Oh God, please let her say my name for the love of- "on Naruto Uzumaki." My dreams are crushed. "And Naruto is going to prom with Sakura Haruno. How the hell he got her to go with him, I will never know."

"How am I involved in all of this again?" I interrupted harshly. I was distraught and slightly stung at the revelation of Hinata's feelings for another guy.

"Calm down, I'm getting to it." Ino responded in her version of a soothing tone, which I just found annoying. "Our plan is to make Naruto notice Hinata by making him _jealous_. Hinata needs a date to prom. An attractive date. And Shino, you're not half bad. So you fit the bill!"

"Not. Half. Bad?" I repeated slowly, apprehension swelling in my voice. I was trying very hard not to be offended, Frankly, it wasn't working.

"Shino." Hinata finally spoke up. She turned and looked straight into me eyes, which were shielded by sunglasses. "I'm really sorry to involve you in such frivolous matters…" She sighed before continuing. "But I really do want Naruto to notice me." The blush returned to her cheeks. "And you're the only guy that I can trust to help me. Can you please do me this favor? For me, just this once?"

"U-uh," I was caught off guard. Hinata rarely met my eyes. Looking straight into her lavender-tinged eyes, I felt as if my lungs were robbed of every single molecule of oxygen in the room. I suppose that's why they call it a crush. My feelings are certainly making me feel as if a giant boulder is atop my chest. I even felt a faint blush rise to my cheeks. This is not right. I, Shino Aburame, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT BLUSH. And here this Hyuga was, causing my face to redden so easily. Goddamn. Goddamn it all.

"S-Sure Hinata. Sure, I'll take you to prom." I obliged, cursing at myself internally for such weakness.

"Excellent!" Ino clapped her hands together in excitement. "We'll have to get the details worked out-" I was about to snap at her when Asuma-sensei, thankfully, told her to return to her seat.

Hinata and I didn't discuss the prom thing for the rest of the period. There seemed to be a somewhat awkward silence that had formed between us as we did our lab on acid and base indicators. When she did manage to mumble out a few clumsy words, a trace of stuttered speech was discernible. Damn, I thought that we were past that. I guess she was just that embarrassed over the current situation with this Naruto guy.

I really am not thrilled about this whole ordeal.


	2. Lunchtime Woes

****Hey there! Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know that there won't be romantic moments between Shino and Hinata for a few more chapters. Sorry, but there has to be some sort of build-up, right? And also, if you think that Shino seems OOC, please tell me so that I can fix it. I just feel like he is one of those silent people that is very talkative in his own head. So anyways, I'll try to update daily! Thank you for reading and feel free to review, favorite, follow, whatever you like!****

At lunch, I took my usual seat beside Hinata and Kiba. Kiba was a good friend of Hinata's, who I only tolerated at first. I eventually grew to like him occasionally, even considering him my friend as well. Today was not one of those occasions.

"So I heard that you're taking Hinata to prom!" Kiba barked out, louder than necessary. I could hear my ears' ringing from Kiba's assailing voice.

"Yes, that is correct," I replied evenly. Hinata remained silent by my side. Just as I said that, Ino arrived with her entourage. This consisted of Chouji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara. Chouji is constantly eating but he also possesses immense strength. Shikamaru is one of the laziest people I have ever met and also one of the most intelligent. They're Ino's family friends from what Hinata has told me.

Behind Ino, another group of students approached our table. This one was made up of Tenten, a star athlete at our school, Neji Hyuga, the senior class valedictorian, and Rock Lee, a Tae kwon do national champion. They had taken a liking to sitting at our table for whatever reason. Once everyone had taken their seat, Ino immediately began chattering to me about prom.

"First, you'll need to know Hinata's dress color, so that you can coordinate your outfit accordingly. And are you wearing a tie or a bow tie? Please just no suspenders! And are you picking Hinata up? If so, in which car? And at ti-"

"Ino." I interrupted sternly, having had enough of Ino's incessant nagging. "I have one question."

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Why me?"

"Huh?"

"I said, why me? There are other guys without dates. What makes me so special?"

"Well I dunno, ask Hinata. She said that she could trust you to help out." I turned to Hinata, who was now stubbornly focusing on her peanut butter sandwich.

"Is this true?" I questioned, trying not to sound hopeful in the least. Although I knew she liked that Naruto-idiot, I couldn't stop myself from clinging to trace amounts of the hope that she might one day return my feelings. Frankly this was unlikely, but I was trying not to think about that.

"Like I said before Shino," Hinata began carefully. "You're a guy that I know I can trust." I had the distinct feeling that I was being friend zoned and that drove me continue asking questions.

"But why not Kiba? Isn't he your friend?" I persisted.

"She couldn't have gone with him because he's my date!" Ino interjected. "Isn't that right, babe?" She called over to Kiba, who was in the midst of a heated conversation with Lee. He glanced at Ino and gave her a quick wink with a smirk before returning to whatever he and Lee were arguing about.

"What about Lee? Or Neji? Or Shikamaru, or Chouji?"

"Lee barely knows Hinata, Chouji is okay with solo, and Shikamaru has a date with some college girl named Temari." Ino explained matter-of-factly, as if this was all common knowledge. "And EW, I wouldn't let Hinata go with Neji for a variety of reasons. 1. He's her cousin. EW. 2. He's already going with Tenten and 3. He's kinda scary." Ino whispered out the last bit to prevent Neji from hearing her. It didn't work very well.

"What was that, Ino?" Neji said sternly.

"Oh, nothing Neji…Nothing at all." Ino replied nervously.

"Don't some consider me 'kinda scary'?" I countered.

"I don't think you're scary," Hinata admitted shyly. I felt that light blush creep onto my face once more. Twice in the same day. Goddamnit, Hinata will be the death of me. "I think that you're a nice guy, someone I can really depend on," she elaborated.

I could literally feel my heart sinking as I realized that I'd be stranded in the friend zone for the rest of eternity.


	3. Last Minute Preparations

**** Hey guys! So far I've been able to keep up with my goal of updating this fic daily. I hope that it doesn't seem like Shino hates Ino or anything…I mean in this fic he dislikes how loud she is, but he grows to appreciate her as a friend later on ( in this chapter especially). Oh and I decided to make Sai one of Shino's close friends in this fic. I feel like Sai and Shino would be best friends in an AU because Sai (being basically socially inept) wouldn't be intimidated by Shino's cold demeanor like most people. Yeah, so I may have some trouble updating this later in the week (School really sucks, y'know the deal). But I'll try to stick to updating daily like I've done so far. Cheers for super long author's notes! Anyways, thank you for reading this, I really appreciate it! Favorite, follow, review, do what you please! ****

* * *

It was the day before prom and I was freaking out internally. I still had yet to pick out a tie for a prom, nor a suit. Honestly, I had avoided it all week. The whole situation of Hinata asking me to take her to prom to make some other guy jealous and then proceeding to friend zone me just depressed me. I needed some cheering up, so I decided to call my friend to help me find something suitable to wear.

"Hello?" He spoke into the phone.

"Sai, I need your help. Can I pick you up?" Sai agreed and I left for his house. Sai was one of the few people who never found my silent, emotionless demeanor to be intimidating. In fact, he approached me as if I were completely regular. I appreciated that, so we became good friends. Sai is kind of socially awkward, but he can tell certain things about the people that he is close with. He figured out me infatuation over Hinata within a few months of knowing me. It was kind of embarrassing actually, having been found out so easily. Thankfully, everyone else has remained oblivious.

"So you need me to help you shop?" Sai asked monotonously.

"Correct," I replied. "Ino said that Hinata's dress is silver, so I just need a tie to match that."

"And a suit." Sai reminded me.

I sighed. That was the major issue. "And a suit. But how the hell will I get one in such a short time period?"

"Don't you need a corsage and boutonnière as well?"

"Shit, I forgot."

"Looks like this trip will be longer than anticipated."

I sighed again. "I guess we'll swing by the florist's to see if they can have the flowers prepared in the next couple of hours." I drove and parked outside of Yamanaka florists.

"Hey Sai," I muttered nervously. "The family that owns this shop…Are they, by any chance, Ino's family?"

"You know," Sai began apathetically. He obviously didn't share my aversion to Ino. "There is a good chance. I don't know many Yamanakas….Maybe we'll get to see her in there." I gulped. This was the only flower shop in town, so I just have to suck it up.

I walked cautiously into the store, the door tinkling with bells as I opened it. Just as I expected, the blonde was sitting behind the cash register. Damn.

"Shino! Sai! How are you two?" She exclaimed. God, she and Kiba really were meant for each other. They both believe that the best form of communication is screaming at the top of their lungs.

"I'm here for a corsage and boutonnière for Hinata," I explained coldly.

She rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you have gotten that taken care of already? Jeez, next you'll be telling me that you don't even have a suit or tie…"

"Uh, actua-" I clamped my hand over Sai's mouth before he could tell her. I'd expected that. Sai was oblivious to social situations after all. Ino looked at the two of us suspiciously, so I quickly brought the subject of conversation back to the flowers.

"Anyways, what do you recommend?" I asked seriously. Ino looked at me for a moment and then excused herself to the back of the shop.

"Here they are!" I heard her squeal with delight. She bustled back to the front of the shop with her hands full of a bouquet of blue flowers. "I knew we had just received a new shipment!"

"What're those?" I questioned curiously.

"They're Hydrangeas. Perfect to compliment the silver in Hinata's dress and the blue in her hair."

"Hm, I agree," said, still retaining the serious edge to my voice. "How long will it take you to make me a corsage and boutonnière?"

"I'll have it down in about two hours," Ino estimated confidently. "By the way Shino," she continued. "I feel as if these flowers embody your situation with Hinata quite well."

"What do you mean by that?" I replied defensively.

"Well Hydrangeas hold a very special meaning to us florists. They symbolize earnestness or honesty in the communication of feelings." I froze when I heard this. She was onto me! Somehow, she'd figured out my carefully concealed feelings for Hinata.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Ino." I responded stiffly.

"Oh no Shino, I know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." Ino said slyly. "I saw that blush on your face in chemistry and at lunch. Only Hinata makes you do that, huh?" This girl was a lot more perceptive than I gave her credit for. Ino picked up the bouquet of Hydrangeas and moved to return to the backroom once again. As she passed me, she paused and murmured softly, "And honestly, you'd be better for her. I can tell that you genuinely care for her. I'm rooting for you, Shino. I believe that she'd accept you if you only told her how you feel." And with that, Ino left me with some tangled thoughts.

* * *

"What about this one?" Sai asked, offering a diamond patterned tie to me. It was black and silver alright, but a little too much for my tastes.

"Ah, I think not. It just looks…not right."

"Okay," Sai replaced the tie to its rack and continued his search. "This one?" This time he held a plain silver tie.

"Eh, too simple." I don't know why, but I was being particularly picky over the quality of my tie for this event. It's not as if it could affect the chance of Hinata developing feelings for me. Well, whatever. A good-looking tie could be a step in the right direction. Sai seemed to understand my need for the perfect tie and continued to immerse himself in the racks of silver-toned ties, intent on finding me the correct one.

"So are you going to prom?" I asked out of curiosity. Sai never mentioned his plans to me.

"Yes, but I am attending without a date." He replied, still ruffling through ties.

"Do you want to come along with Hinata and I?" I didn't like the idea of Sai attending prom alone.

"No, it's quite alright. I'm going in a group of dateless guys. Chouji, Rock Lee, and Kankuro are attending with me."

"Oh that's cool."

"Yep. What about this one?" The tie that he held up was a light silver with a faint design woven intricately into its fabric.

"I like it." I said immediately. It seemed nice. "It's subtle, but not simple. I like it." I repeated for good measure.

"Good," Sai smiled, relieved that he'd finally found me the proper tie. "Now we'll just run by the suit rental shop and pick up your flowers and we're done."

We ran by the suit rental shop and, miraculously, they had a suit in my size available. On the night of prom no less. My luck was finally kicking in. Better late than never. It was a simple black. I picked out a black dress shirt to go with it and were done with my attire.

When we arrived at the flower shop, Ino had my flowers ready to go. I thanked her and drove Sai back home. When I finally returned to my house, it was nearly nine o' clock at night. "I'm exhausted." I muttered. And it was true. Although it was so early to be going to bed, I felt drained nonetheless. I fell onto my bed and fell asleep within minutes, wishing to myself that tomorrow will turn out well.

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*****So I just wanted to include a link to the a tie I found that I think looks like the one described in this chapter. Link: ** . **. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! I'll try to update tomorrow. *****


	4. Protective Parenting

**** Hey! Just a word of warning, Shino is going to meet Hinata's dad in this chapter and it'll be really awkward…and a little scary for him! I tried to make their interactions as humorous as possible. And I'm also trying to proofread more. I noticed a few errors on the first chapter that I missed and I have got to say, it's pretty embarrassing. Oh, and I added a little subplot for Hanabi because I thought it'd be cute. Anyways, I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter! Favorite, follow, review, do what you like! ****

* * *

My heart was hammering against my rib cage. It was the day of prom and I had three hours to get ready to pick Hinata up. I jumped into the shower. While under the hot stream of water, I couldn't fathom of a reality in which Hinata would end up dating me. Finally, I just switched off the water and trudged hopelessly out of the bathroom, grabbing a towel to dry off as I exited. Standing before the mirror, I observed my reflection. I had a somewhat angular face and almost spiky brown hair. My eyes were exposed for once. They were actually quite normal looking. I have sharp, small eyes. They were void of any color, black being the only discernible shade.

I sighed. My eyes were nothing when compared to how beautiful Hinata's were. As I towel-dried my hair, I decided not to wear my sunglasses to prom. Although I only wore them because my family has a history of eye sensitivity to light, they had become a sort of comfort to me. No one could read the emotions present in my eyes whenever I wore them. But because this event tonight was clearly out of my comfort zone, I feel as if going glasses-free wouldn't make much of a difference either way. Plus, Hinata's family may consider them rude. Ino had warned me about Hinata's family. As I began to get dressed, I gulped nervously. The Hyuga family's strictness did not sound pleasant.

* * *

I arrived at Hinata's house fifteen minutes early. My anxiety over the whole affair had compelled me to do so. Cautiously, I walked to the front door, boutonnière and corsage in hand. Before I could even ring the door bell, the door creaked open and revealed a pair of pearly white ears glaring at me. These eyes belonged to a girl, perhaps around middle-school age. The loathing present in her glare made me freeze. Out of all the things I might've encountered here, I had not expected a demonic little girl to be on the list.

"Hanabi!" I heard a male voice call from inside the house. "Who's at the door?"

"It's Hinata's date," She stated icily. She disappeared, leaving the door slightly ajar. She didn't even bother to let me in. Her vacancy was soon filled by a man with a cold stare identical to the little girl's. He was obviously Hinata's dad. I could tell from the way he observed me suspiciously.

"So you're Shino." He spoke slowly.

"Yes." I replied. The silence between us stretched for miles. This guy made me really nervous.

"Well Hinata will be a few more minutes. She is still getting ready." For a moment, the two of us just stood, staring each other down. This is so nerve-wracking. Thank god I can hold a straight face.

"Would you like to come in?" He asked finally. I nodded and followed him into the house. I guess that I didn't mention it before but Hinata's house is HUGE. It was practically a mansion. I didn't really notice at first because my nerves were getting to me but I certainly realize it now that I had seen the massive staircase in the receiving hall. A giant, elaborate crystal chandelier sparkled above Hinata's father and I. The floor as done in an intricate marble tile. The walls were covered with expensive-looking art. Jesus, if the hostile dad didn't intimidate me, than this surely got the job done. I mean wow. Just WOW, her house was huge.

"Your house is very beautiful," I complimented politely.

"Thank you." Hinata's father replied bluntly. "So Shino, describe your relationship with my daughter."

"Uh," I was caught off guard by his interrogation. "She is my chemistry partner and a close friend of mine."

"How close, exactly?" Hinata's dad asked suspiciously.

"Um, we're friends?" I honestly had no idea how to reply.

"Okay then, what is your current grade point average?" This man was nosy and persistent, a truly dangerous combination.

"4.5" I replied steadily.

"How many AP classes are you enrolled in?"

"Two. AP Biology and AP Pysch."

"Why only two?"

"I prefer not to take AP classes unless I intend on possibly majoring in them in college."

"Okay. Goals for career?"

"I'm deciding between going into medicine or ecology."

"Go with medicine." The Hyuga father advised vehemently.

"Dad, I'm ready!" Hinata's voice carried from her room in the upper level of the home. She turned the corner and began to descend down the steps. I swear to god, my heart fell out of my chest. That's the only way that I can describe that feeling. I managed to keep a straight face and not break out into a blushing, grinning mess. But god, she was so beautiful.

Her soft hair was half pulled back and curled. This put all of the focus on her gentle face, which was lightly brushed with make-up. A slight smile lit up her face, along with a blush. Her floor-length dress was a delicate silver, a shade which my tie matched perfectly. I internally thanked Sai for his stellar shopping abilities. She had a delicate silver necklace strung around her neck with an aquamarine pendant at its center. She was stunning. I was speechless, utterly speechless.

"Ah Shino, you've already arrived!" Hinata exclaimed joyfully in that soft voice of hers. She finally reached the bottom of the steps and began to approach her father and I.

"Uh, yeah." I managed to stammer out, still feeling speechless.

"Are those the corsage and boutonnière?" Hinata asked, motioning to the packages that I was holding.

"Y-Yeah," I muttered shyly. I need to get a hold of myself. I began to unwrap the packages and pulled out the corsage first. Ino definitely outdid herself. The bundle of blue flowers was wrapped expertly with a few silver ribbons that matched Hinata's dress perfectly. A small, silver charm hung from one of the ribbons. It was a butterfly.

Confused, I also found a slip of paper at the bottom of the plastic box. _'A butterfly for good luck! ~ Ino' _I smiled to myself before pocketing the note and approaching Hinata with the corsage.

"Here, I'll slide it on for you," I murmured gently, having finally found my voice. I slid the silver elastic over Hinata's delicate wrist, careful not to scratch her. Instead of photographing the moment like a normal parent would, Mr. Hyuga stood before the two of us with his arms crossed. However, his leer seemed less hateful, so I must've gained some amount of approval from him.

Hinata followed my action by gently pinning the Hydrangea boutonnière to my suit lapel. She smiled encouragingly at me, which almost made me break my mask and blush. Almost.

The two of us deserted the Hyuga house and headed into my car. We were on our way there. Oh god.

* * *

"Hanabi!" The quiet Hyuga heard the voice of her friend and rushed to her window. Upon opening it, she saw three figures standing below in her backyard.

"Konohamaru, Is that you?" Hanabi muttered down to the group, trying to keep her voice down so that her dad didn't hear her.

"Hanabi, we're gonna crash Konoha High's prom, c'mon!" It was definitely Konohamaru. No one else could conceive of a plan that stupid.

"That's idiotic," Hanabi hissed down to them. "If my dad catches us, I'll be dead meat."

"Awww," Konohamaru replied. "Is the great Hanabi a chicken?"

That did it for the Hyuga. She was now riled up. Nothing could stop Hanabi when she was riled up. "FINE!" She whisper-shouted angrily. "I'll be down in two minutes!" And she stuck to her word. Within two minutes, the Hyuga had pulled on a simple black dress and snuck out to join the three middle-schoolers in her backyard. Alongside Konohamaru stood Moegi and Udon. Udon and Konohamaru wore dress shirts, ties, dress pants, and shoes. Moegi wore a pretty white dress with a light blue ribbon around its waist. Udon wore a blue shirt and white tie to match Moegi, and Konohamaru, having correctly anticipated Hanabi to choose a black dress, wore a black shirt with a red tie.

"How are we getting to prom, stupid?" Hanabi interrogated irately, still sour about being called a chicken.

"Simple," Konohamaru said matter-of-factly. "We'll just sneak into the car trunk of that guy taking your sister to prom."

"I have never someone who is such an IDIOT!" exclaimed Hanabi. "How are we all going to fit into a tru-"

"Shhh," Konohamaru had placed his hand over Hanabi's mouth, which caused her to start trying to punch him. "We need to hurry. That boy and your sister are going to leave soon. And with that, Konohamaru dragged an enraged Hanabi to Shino's car, followed by Moegi and Udon. He quickly unlocked the car's trunk with a paper clip and climbed in, pulling Hanabi beside him. Moegi and Udon followed and the four fit themselves into the car trunk. It was surprisingly roomy for a car trunk, so they weren't too squished. Konohamaru sat up and closed the trunk. It took only a few minutes for the car to start. Shino had begun to drive them without realizing the extra weight in the trunk. The four were on their way to their first prom.

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** **Hope you liked the update! Anyways, here are the links to the dresses I mentioned: **

**Hinata's :****_ /wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/d8a23_ **

**Hanabi's:**** content/images/thumbs/0001940_black_strapless_empi re_waist_short_cocktail_ _ **

**Moegi's: **

**I'll try to get the next update up tomorrow! Thanks for reading! ****


	5. So It Begins

**** Thanks to everyone reading! I'll be splitting the dance into two chapters, so I'll update the first one today and the second will be up by tomorrow. Thanks again for reading! ****

* * *

We arrived at the dance fifteen minutes after it began. The dance was held at some fancy hotel in downtown Konoha. The ballroom was massive, and decorated with silver butterflies and a variety of flowers. The theme was apparently "Secret Garden".

"Hinata, is Ino on the prom decorations committee by any chance?"

"How'd you know?" She replied, surprised.

"Oh nothing, this just seems like her."

When we entered the dance, the ballroom was bustling people, dancing and chattering excitedly. I can honestly say that I knew about 20% of the people there. Oh well, it was mostly the senior class attending so far anyways.

Hinata gripped my arm nervously as I walked her in. We still hadn't caught sight of Naruto yet when Ino popped out of the crowd and approached us, dragging Kiba along with her.

"Hey guys, did you just get here?" Ino said loudly, trying to talk over the music. It was beginning to seem as if Ino's one goal in life was to deafen me.

"Yes, we just arrived," Hinata answered. While Hinata chatted with Ino, I observed the faces among the crowd. I saw Shikamaru leaning by the punch bowl, conversing with a fierce-looking blonde who I assumed to be Temari. Chouji was beside them, snacking on finger foods. Tenten was trying to coax a bitter-looking Neji to the dance floor. Sasuke, a boy in my grade, was dancing a red haired girl that I didn't recognize. I also noticed Gaara, a sophomore, chatting with a freshman named Matsuri near the fringes of the crowd. Rock Lee looked as if he was passionately challenging Sai to spar. Sai was uncomfortable, and his attempts at trying to decline the energetic upperclassmen's challenge seemed to be in vain. It seemed as if everyone was having a good time.

Suddenly, I heard an uproar near the entrance. Hinata and I turned to see a yellow-haired idiot burst through the doors, huffing and puffing. From the immediate blush that spread on Hinata's face, I could tell that this was Naruto. He was soon followed by his pink-haired date, Sakura. She stomped in and punched him in the face. "YOU IDIOT! I TOLD YOU THAT WE'D BE LATE!" she shouted whiled doing so. Naruto rocketed into a nearby table, which spilt in half.

"I'm sorry Sakura…." Naruto mumbled, in obvious pain. "But we're not that late…." Sakura looked as though she was going to punch him again, but she quickly calmed down at the sight of her friends.

"Ino! Hinata!" She called cheerfully, rushing over to them. "Hey, you look great!" Ino smirked and began talking about dresses with Sakura. Ino was wearing a tight red dress with crystals woven into the fabric. Sakura was wearing a short black dress with a ribbon the same shade as her hair wrapped around her waist. Neither of them could even compete with Hinata. Then again, I'm kind of a biased judge when it comes to Hinata.

Speaking of Hinata, she hadn't spoken a single word since Naruto arrived. She just looked down and pushed her forefingers together.

Naruto, having fully recovered from Sakura's abuse, stumbled over to us. "Hey Hinata!" He said, a slight slur present in his speech. "Who's this guy?"

"I'm Shino." I answered for her, placing my arm protectively around her shoulders. "Her date."

"Oh that's cool!" Naruto exclaimed. He then swooped next to Hinata and attempted to whisper (even though I could still hear every word that he said). "Hinata, don't you think that this guy is kind of, I don't know, creepy?"

"Shino is a very good friend of mine." She replied. "He's not creepy at all." It took a lot of effort to prevent myself from grinning.

"Okay, well where's Sakura?" Naruto asked obliviously, even though Sakura was literally five feet away.

"I'm over here, moron!" Sakura shouted at the yellow-haired idiot. "Jeez, it's only been five minutes and you've already lost track of me?"

"I'm sorry Sakura!" Naruto rushed over to her, leaving a disappointed Hinata with me. "Here, let's go dance!" Naruto yanked Sakura's arm and dragged her into the crowd of people.

Ino gave Hinata and I a sympathetic look before leaving with Kiba to go to the dance floor.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, thank you Shino," she muttered, the look of disappointment still clear on her face. I was about to say something when Sai ran over to us and hid behind me.

"Hey Sai, what's wrong?" I asked. Sai was abnormally nervous.

"Lee challenged me to a sparring battle but I declined….The issue is that Lee doesn't take no for an answer….If he sees me…."

"Oh, that's unfortunate," I said. "Hinata, this is Sai, a good friend of mine. Sai, this is Hinata." The two of them nodded at each other.

Suddenly, a green blur came barreling from my right side. It was Rock Lee jumping into some crazy Taekwondo kick. I ducked, pulling Hinata down as well to prevent her from getting caught in the crossfire. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to pull down Sai as well, leaving him completely open to Lee's assault.

"HYAAAH!" Lee screamed as his foot made contact with Sai's face. Sai was a bit too slow to react and was hit with the attack directly. Lee propelled himself and poor Sai into the snack table, which was flipped over, causing a flurry of snacks to rain down upon the partygoers. Chouji lost his temper at the sight of the destroyed food and started a yelling match with Lee, while poor Sai was caught helplessly in the middle, looking extremely distressed.

This night was off to a crazy start.

* * *

Konohamaru and friends exited the car trunk about ten minutes after they'd heard Hinata and Shino exit the car. This was to diminish the possibility of them getting caught. When they were sure that the couple had entered the dance, Konohamaru unlocked the trunk from within and popped it open. He then jumped out and helped Hanabi down from the car trunk; Udon did the same for Moegi.

"Guys!" Konohamaru whispered to them as they stood in the parking lot. "We're here! This is it!"

"How're we gonna get in, genius?" Hanabi scoffed at the boy.

"We'll sneak in through the garden entrance of course!"


	6. A King is Crowned

****Hey guys, just to let you know ahead of time, I won't be updating tomorrow. I have a track meet, so I won't be getting home until very late. I'll make sure to have an update ready for Friday though. Anyways, this is part two of prom! Hope you enjoy it! ****

* * *

As the ruckus in the ballroom exponentially increased with Chouji and Lee's shouting match, I decided to get out of there. Grasping Hinata's hand, I pulled her away from the scene. She followed me as I led her out of the ballroom doors. They opened out to a botanical garden owned by the hotel.

I slowed down and were began to walk along a stone path. It led up to a gazebo decorated with silver fairy lights. The garden was full of flowers and other plants. It calmed down the headache I had developed from the volume in the dance. A small pond near the gazebo was full of Koi fish and freshwater toads. The low humming of the toads filled the garden with a subtle ambiance. I was glad that I found such a calming place. Hinata and I seemed to be the only ones around.

"It's so beautiful here," Hinata breathed softly. Her voice was a vestige of a whisper. I suppose she lowered her voice so much because she didn't want to disturb the tranquility of the garden.

I led her carefully to the gazebo, my hand guiding hers, ad sat beside her on the bench within.

"I just needed some fresh air," I explained. "All the yelling in there was just too much. I'm not too fond of crowds, and when you add shouting into the equation…." I let my words trail off, a slight headache returning at the reminder of the dance's tumultuous racket.

"I understand, I feeling a bit light headed from all that fuss as well," Hinata murmured faintly. "I'm grateful that you took me out here. This garden is so pretty." She smiled gently at me and, this time, nothing could prevent the resulting blush on my face.

"You know, I didn't get the chance to tell you before we left, but you look absolutely beautiful tonight." And all the time as well. But I neglected to say that last bit.

"Thank you Shino," Hinata replied. "And you look very handsome as well."

I smiled at her happily. "I think that it's quieted down a little in there. Do you want to go back?" Hinata nodded and rose from the gazebo's seat. I followed and she gripped my arm as I led her back to the dance.

When we returned, a party song was just ending. As it ended, a soft melody began to fill the ballroom.

"Is this piano music?" Hinata asked curiously.

"It appears so," I replied. "I didn't expect them to play this at prom, but I like it." The music deepened in tone as the rest of the orchestra instruments joined the piano's melody.

"I used to play the piano, you know," Hinata mentioned with a nostalgic smiled plastered on her face.

"Really? That's interesting….Hey, would you like to dance?" I suggested nonchalantly, hoping that she didn't see how nervous I was when I asked.

"I'd love to," she replied with a cordial smile. I think that my heart may have melted on the spot.

As I walked Hinata to the dance floor, I caught sight of Ino behind the DJ booth, giving me a thumbs up. Oh god, she planned all of this, didn't she? She must've know that Hinata used to play piano and would enjoy dancing to it…

"Is there something wrong Shino?" Hinata asked, noticing the pensive look on my face.

"Oh no, nothing!" I assured her. I then gently pulled her closer to me and began to sway with her to the piano's melody. It was quite therapeutic. I felt so calm as the music swelled around the two of us. It was as if it were only Hinata and I in that spacious ballroom together. I felt her heart beat steadily as we swayed in sync to the music. However, the song began to play its ending notes. The melody ended far too soon for my liking. If I had my way, that song would've played forever.

"Attention students of Konoha High!" a man with his face slightly covered by a mask was holding a microphone in the center of the dance floor. "Someone forgot to tell me that this wasn't a masquerade." He explained sheepishly.

"Who's that?" I whispered to Hinata.

"Oh, that's Kakashi-sensei. He teaches AP Calculus at the school," she explained.

Kakashi continued his announcement. "Anyways, the time has come to reveal our prom King and Queen! Now I will announce the winners for the junior and senior class!" The crowd cheered, which gave me a slight headache again. Hinata noticed my discomfort and tried to comfort me by rubbing my hand.

"And now, the announcement for the junior class!" The crowd quieted in anticipation. "The Queen is….Sakura Haruno!" A spotlight shone down on the pink-haired girl. She smirked and approached Kakashi.

"And the King is….Naruto Uzumaki!" How did an idiot like him win? The yellow-haired guy ran up to Sakura, too fast for the spotlight to follow. He basically tackled Sakura and kissed her in a fit of joy in front of the entire crowd. I immediately felt Hinata stiffen beside me. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it in an attempt to comfort her. She didn't react. She didn't blink. I wasn't even sure if she was breathing. She just angled her gaze straight ahead, focused on that goddamn idiot.

Naruto finally released Sakura from his grasp and looked at her with a toothy grin. She responded by punching him with all of her strength. He flew into some people standing nearby, effectively knocking them over. This caused a wave of laughter from all the students. I remained stony faced with Hinata. She was still hiding behind an emotionless mask. I knew that trick better than anyone and I knew that, in Hinata's case, that mask would eventually crack.

Neji and Tenten were named prom King and Queen of the senior class and a myriad of cheering and clapping followed. I dragged Hinata away from the crowd and out to the garden. I was about to take Hinata back to the gazebo and comfort her when we heard muffled movement to our right. Upon turning, I realized in horror that we had stumbled upon Sakura and Naruto making out. Again. How they managed to get out here faster than Hinata and I, I have no clue. They must've snuck out while Kakashi-sensei announced the senior class King and Queen.

The two broke apart in embarrassment when they realized that we had noticed them. I had no idea how to react. Hinata seemed to turn to stone by my side, apathetic and numb.

"Heeeeeeey Hinata and Shinto," Naruto slurred, obviously a tad bit drunk from some spiked punch. Sakura remained silent by his side.

"Shino," I corrected icily.

"Right, right," Naruto replied. "Weeeelll if you'd excuse us…." Naruto pulled Sakura back into the dance, leaving Hinata and I alone again.

"Hinata," I began nervously. I was really worried about her. She wasn't reacting to anything.

"I'm okay Shino," She replied quietly, her eyes studying the ground. "Can we go sit now?" I nodded and the two of us went to the gazebo. I sat beside Hinata. Her face was still carefully arranged to reveal none of the emotions she harbored within about Naruto.

I held her hand to offer some sort of comfort. We stayed like that in silence for a while. I sighed. Tonight was not a good night.

* * *

As the group of middle schoolers climbed over the hedges bordering the garden, Hanabi swore that she'd never agree to one of Konohamaru's hair-brained schemes ever again. Once they'd overcame the hedges, the group snuck by the gazebo. At least, until Konohamaru stopped them.

"Hanabi, is that your sister?" He motioned to the gazebo. Sure enough, Hinata was sitting there smiling, beside her date.

"Ew, I don't want to see my sister all romantic. Let's just go to the dance."

And so, the group snuck into prom and joined a crowd of high schoolers bustling in the middle of the dance floor. It was during a party song, so most of the high schoolers were grinding. But Konohamaru decided just to swing Hanabi around the dance floor, to which she reacted by yelling vociferously at him. Udon and Moegi left to go get punch, leaving Konohamaru and Hanabi alone. Moments later, a slow-paced song began to play.

Konohamaru turned and grinned at Hanabi. "May I have this dance?" He asked cheekily, holding out his hand to her.

"Fine," she obliged grudgingly, a light blush coloring her face. The two swayed to the piano music that filled the ballroom, completely in-sync with one another. The music ended after a few minutes, leaving Konohamaru blushing and Hanabi breathless. The two observed each other meaningfully for a moment, before they were distracted by Kakashi-sensei making an announcement.

The pair watched uninterestedly as Kakashi explained about the prom King and Queen. He then announced Naruto and Sakura as the Junior class King and Queen. Hanabi and Konohamaru cheered happily for the couple.

"Big brother Naruto won!" Konohamaru exclaimed to Hanabi, who gave him a smile as a reply. The pair witnessed as Naruto pulled Sakura into a kiss and was consecutively punched in the face by the pink-haired girl. Tenten and Neji were announced as the Senior class prom King and Queen. Their acceptance was, thankfully, less eventful. After that, the dance began once again, with more party music.

It was around midnight when Hanabi and Konohamaru had danced themselves into exhaustion. The pair found Moegi, who was supporting a napping Udon.

"How are we getting home, Konohamaru?" Hanabi asked worriedly. "Shino and Hinata already left…"

"Don't worry, I got it," Konohamaru assured her. He dragged Hanabi out to the garden, where he found just who he was looking for. "BIG BROTHER NARUTO!" He shouted, tugging at the high schooler's sleeve. Naruto was in the midst of making out with Sakura and didn't realize that the boy was calling for him until Sakura broke the kiss.

"Hnnn?" Naruto muttered, tipsy from having consumed some spiked punch. "Konohamaru? What're you doin' here?

"No time for that big brother," Konohamaru replied urgently. " Can you drive us home?" The boy motioned to Hanabi, Moegi, and a sleeping Udon.

"Konohamaru," Naruto slurred. "I'm kinda in the middle of som-" Naruto was cut off by Sakura's fist slamming into the side of his head.

"Oh cut it out Naruto!" Sakura chided, perfectly sober. "You couldn't even drive yourself home, in the state that you're in." She turned to Konohamaru and friends. "I'll drive you guys home, along with this idiot." she smiled at the middle schoolers, who thanked her vehemently.

**** The song that I think best represents the piano music I wrote about would be the theme for Howl's Moving Castle by Joe Hisashi. Go look it up, that song is amazing! And I hope that you guys liked reading this update! Follow, favorite, review, do what you please! ****


	7. Confession

**** Sorry guys, I forgot to update yesterday. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's important to the story! I hope that you all believe that it was worth the wait! ****

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Hinata's head was bowed beside me, tears sliding down her cheeks. She'd been like this for a while. Her night had definitely not gone as planned. We had deserted the dance shortly after running into Sakura and Naruto. Hinata hasn't uttered a single word since I asked her if she was okay. She has only communicated to me through nodding or shaking her head. It was really worrying me.

In an attempt to comfort her, I cautiously placed my arm around her shoulders. She looked at her, her eyes sparkling with tears. Giving in, she buried her tearful face into my shoulder and sobbed. The pattering of rain against my car window and Hinata's muffled sobs were the soundtrack of my night at prom.

We stayed like that for some time before I finally broke the silence. "It's midnight Hinata. What time are you expected home?"

I didn't really expect her to answer, so I was surprised when she replied quietly. " I was supposed to go to Ino's to spend the night. But I…I really don't want to go. I think that Sakura will be there…."

"I understand," I said quietly. And I did. Hinata was not a hateful person, so I know that she doesn't hate Sakura. She just will be reminded of Naruto when she sees that pink-haired girl, and that is the last thing she needs. I paused for a moment, a precarious idea having popped into my head. It was risky, but it could work… "You can crash at my place tonight. I'll take the couch. You can have my bed."

"But Shino-"

"Hinata, you're not being a burden," I interrupted her, taking the words right out of her mouth. I knew her so well, predicting her words was simple. "I want to help you."

"Thank you Shino," She murmured. I removed my arm from her shoulders and dug into the console of the car. I extracted a box of tissues triumphantly.

"Here," I offered kindly, placing the tissue box into her shaking hands. She was still crying quite heavily. She nodded appreciatively at my and began dabbing the tears away with one of the tissues.

"S-Shino," she stammered a few moments later. I turned to face her, understanding that she needed to vent. "I just…..I liked him so much…..I never even spoke to him on a daily basis…..I built up all these ideas in my head of how he secretly returned my feelings….I thought that he didn't actually like Sakura, that they were just friends….I had the biggest crush on him….I don't think that's how love is supposed to be…..to love someone and not have them return the favor….it hurts so much…."

"I can relate," I muttered truthfully. "I know this beautiful girl. She is so intelligent and hard-working. She deserves so much but she wastes her time chasing after some guy that doesn't even give her the time of day…" As I said this, I noticed the corsage on her wrist, slightly battered from the fuss of the dance. I sighed and recalled Ino's words_. I can tell that you genuinely care for her. I'm rooting for you, Shino. I believe that she'd accept you if you only told her how you feel. _

"What a poor girl…" Hinata mused. "I know exactly how she must feel."

"Yes, and it's very frustrating because I could give this girl what she deserves in a relationship….But I feel as if she's stuck on that guy who'll never give her the attention and love that she needs." I was frustrated indeed. Hinata wasn't understanding what I was hinting at all.

"Well she'll come around eventually, right?" Hinata comforted me, still oblivious to the truth behind my words. "So what's this girl's name?"

I remained silent for a moment and merely observed her. Even with her mascara smeared and her face reddened from all the crying, Hinata was stunning. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were bloodshot, but she still took my breath away. I took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Even if Naruto doesn't love you, or any guy for that matter, I'll love you Hinata." Hinata's eyes widened and she seemed unsure to reply at first. She was confused by my answer before the realization hit her like a wall of brick.

"I-I….I am her?" Hinata mumbled out, sounding ashamed of herself. I took the risk and gently slid my arms around her in a warm embrace. From this action, Hinata understood that my words were the truth. She began to really cry now, seemingly bitter that she'd just realized my feelings now. I felt bitter too, angry at myself for making the girl I love cry even more. She let out all of her pain and frustration into her sobs. She buried her head into my shoulder and cried with all of her heart. With her crying so heartily, she somehow ended up sitting in my lap, on the driver's side of the car. Hinata was completely lost in her emotion, a leaf caught in the river's current. I could feel warmth on my cheeks as a bright red blush spread across my face. I'd never been this close to her before. I stroked her hair comfortingly, wanting nothing more but for her to stop crying. Unfortunately, she was inconsolable at the moment. All I could do was wait it out.

She continued to cry for half an hour before returning to her senses. Her sobs slowly turned to hiccups and then faded into silence.

"Shino," Hinata began quietly, her voice hoarse from all the crying. My heart was pounding and I could feel my hands quiver. Her proximity turned me into a bundle of nervous energy. "I'm sorry that I never considered you as more than a friend." My heart began to sink. I knew that it wouldn't work out… "Maybe," Hinata lifted her head from my shoulder to look me in the eye. "Maybe we could change that." And she swiftly leaned in to kiss me. Our lips met in a gently kiss. There was so much emotion in my chest, I felt as if I might explode. And my hands trembled uncontrollably. Hinata's hand overlapped one of mine and calmed its quivering. My other hand flew to caress the back of her head, deepening the kiss. For that moment, we were frozen in a beautiful embrace of limbs and lips. I finally broke the kiss, my face now burning with a blush. Hinata kissed me once more on the cheek before returning to the passenger's seat.

She looked at me before saying, "Shino?"

"Yes Hinata?" I asked, still breathless from what just happened.

"I like kissing you." She stated. I was surprised by her boldness. I'd never seen her that blunt before. She surprised me once more when her hand sought mine in the car, our fingers interlacing when they found each other.

* * *

We arrived at my house around 1:00 am. My parents were fast asleep, seeming to have trust in my judgment. L led Hinata into my house through the back door. It was considerably smaller than her home, but it had some positive qualities. Clean and simple, my home was average but comforting. Hinata seemed to appreciate it. I flipped on the light and told Hinata to wait a moment. Hurriedly, I went to my room and grabbed a clean pair of sweatpants and a green t-shirt from my closet. Quickly, I returned to the kitchen where Hinata was patiently waiting.

"You can change into these," I instructed gently, handing her the bundle of clothes. I led her to the bathroom and left her to change. Exhaustion finally kicked in as I trudged to my room to change. I slowly stripped off the uncomfortable clothing I had worn to prom and had pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants when Hinata opened the door, unaware that I was changing. She made an "eep!" sound and swiftly hid behind the door. I chuckled and opened the door, revealing the embarrassed girl.

"I'm only shirtless, you're fine," I reassured her. Hinata nodded and returned my smile. She could still be so shy sometimes. I led her to my room and showed her my bed, which was neatly made.

"I like all the posters that you have," she remarked. It was true, the walls of my room were plastered with a variety of posters. Most of them depicted ecological systems involving various insects and mammals. I also had some posters of the medical variety, mainly just of the Human skeletal and muscular system.

"So do you want to be a doctor?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Maybe. I've yet to decide. Isn't that terrible? I'm a junior without anything figured out."

"That isn't bad at all. And if you were to become a doctor, you'd be amazing."

"Thanks Hinata," I said quietly. I turned to leave the room when I felt a hand on my wrist. Hinata had grabbed me, a look of desperation on her face.

"Shino please, can you just….stay? I don't want to be alone tonight…" I smiled at her and nodded.

We both slid under the covers after I flipped out the light. She cuddled up against me and fell asleep almost immediately. With her head on my chest and our fingers intertwined, I fell asleep with a smile across my lips.

* * *

**** So everything for Shino has worked out so far….I wonder how his parents will react when they find a girl in Shino's bed.. :] I'll have that chapter written and posted tomorrow. Hope you guys liked the ShinoHina fluff in this chapter! ****


	8. A Father's Approval

My father is not necessarily an intimidating man. He is of average build. He wears sunglasses, just as I do, to protect his eyes from the sun. Overall, he is a quiet and sensible man. So I have never really feared him.

At least, until this morning I didn't. Now, having woken up to a Shibi Aburame that was emanating with ire, I can say that I was petrified. With his arms crossed and his face stony, my father towered over my bed like a god. I glanced over at Hinata, who was still enjoying blissfully ignorant slumber. She was also still cuddled up to my chest. The situation was pretty bad.

Shibi silently gestured to the hallway and stormed out of the room. Sighing, I slid myself carefully out of Hinata's grasp and followed obediently.

He glared at me for a good five minutes before saying anything. I could tell that he had assumed the worst, probably thinking that Hinata and I had sex or something (which I can assure you, we didn't. Just to clarify). I just hoped that he wouldn't yell at Hinata or anything. I couldn't care less if I got into trouble, but if Hinata was punished because of me….That's the worst case scenario.

"Shino," my father said, finally breaking the silence. "Who is that girl? And why is she in your bed?"

"Her name is Hinata Hyuga-"

"She's a Hyuga?! Is her father aware of this?!" My dad hissed angrily, effectively interrupting my explanation.

"Dad," I sighed. "It won't be easy for me to explain if you keep interrupting me."

"Fine," he huffed. "Continue."

And so I told him the entire story. I explained to him that I had developed feelings for Hinata the moment I met her, the favor she had asked of me, how hostile her father was, and how I nearly melted on the spot when I saw her in her prom dress. I told him of Hinata's heartbreak and how I was there to comfort her. And finally, I explained how I gathered the courage to confess my feelings to her, and how she'd miraculously accepted them.

After hearing all this, my father was silent for a while, still processing the information. Finally he said : " But why is she at our house? The Hyuga family is very wealthy and powerful…..If her father were to find his eldest daughter laying in the bed of an unfamiliar boy…." He trailed off in worry.

"Hinata told her father that she was attending a sleepover. But, the girl who Hinata's crush was involved with was most likely there. And Hinata wasn't ready to face her, so I offered her a bed."

"That still doesn't explain why you two _shared _that bed," Shibi stated suspiciously.

"I was about to walk downstairs and sleep on the coach when Hinata stopped me and asked if I stay with her. She told me that she really didn't want to be alone."

"And you two just fell asleep, correct?"

"Yes," I answered truthfully. "Nothing else happened."

"No funny business?"

"No funny business."

"Hmph," my father crossed his arms once more. "I believe you Shino. But I want Hinata to return to her home before noon. Her father might get suspicious if she returns any later. Do you understand?"

"Yes Dad," I turned to return to my room but my father stopped me by placing a firm hand on my shoulder.

"You really do love this girl, don't you?" He asked seriously.

"Yes Dad, I really do." My father's face relaxed, not a trace of the previous anger remaining. Instead, a light smile graced his features. At least, to me it was a smile. To anyone outside of our family, it would've come off as a miniscule variation in my father's constant stoical expression. But I find no trouble in reading my father's subtle facial features. And that was definitely a smile.

"Well, even though I'm being strict with you about this, don't get the wrong idea. I approve of the two of you being together. She seems like a nice girl and I can tell that she makes you happy."

"W-Wait, how?" I stuttered, surprised at his words.

"You've been acting differently ever since the beginning of the school year. Your mother and I noticed immediately." Shibi's smile widened as he continued. "We even took bets. I thought that it was because you were making more friends. However, your perceptive little mother bet that it was related to a girl." Shibi sighed. "Looks like I owe your mother a shopping trip…"

I return my father's smile. Well, that's unfortunate for you…Not so much for me though. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should go wake Hinata up."

My father nodded and let go of my shoulder. I glanced at him once more before heading back into my bedroom to wake her up.

* * *

**** Hey! So, How'd you guys like the Shino-Shibi interaction? I tried to keep Shibi as in-character as possible, but I wasn't too sure of how to do that because of how little air time he gets…. : ( Kishimoto needs to give us more Shibi! Lol, anyways I hope that you guys like this update. Stay tuned for the final chapter, which will be posted tomorrow! Reviews are greatly appreciated, as well as Follows and favorites! ****


	9. Waking the Sleeping Beauty

**** Well guys, here it is. The last chapter! I hope that you enjoyed this series and my portrayal of all the characters. Thanks to those who have read every update! I appreciate all of you! Thanks to dragonick711 for all of those nice reviews of yours! Well, here it is! ****

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Before I woke her up, I couldn't help but notice how angelic Hinata looked while sleeping. Her face was so tranquil, so peaceful and undisturbed. I was reluctant to disrupt such ataraxia. However, before I could gather the resolve, Hinata began to mutter something.

"Shi-Shino," She murmured in almost incoherent speech. I sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb her and caressed her face. I sat like that for a little while before I finally decided that it was time to wake her.

I slid beside her and gently whispered, "Hinata….Hinata, it's time to wake up." She remained asleep. A tad bit louder, I repeated the words and received the same result. I shook her gently, to no avail. Damn, she was a deep sleeper.

Finally, I resorted to a last-ditch effort to wake her up in frustration. Leaning in, I pressed my lips against hers. For a moment, they were stiff from sleep. Then, I could tell that she'd woken up from her lip's response. We remained like that, our lips together, both relishing in the moment, before breaking apart.

"Good morning, Hinata," I breathed softly, my hand stroking her hair.

"Good morning, Shino," She replied drowsily, still half-asleep. She and I cuddled for a bit before we finally decided that it was time to get up. By the time we had come to this decision, it was nine in the morning.

"Hey Hinata," I began as we slid out of the comforts of my bed. "Didn't you pack a bag to sleep over at Ino's? Do you have clothes that you could change into with you?"

"Oh, I gave Ino my overnight bag that day at school…" she replied, slightly embarrassed. " Sorry Shino, I didn't mean to be a burden or anything…" Her gaze drifted to the floor, cautiously avoiding my eyes.

"Don't be silly Hinata," I reassured, placing my hand beneath her chin, softly bringing her uncertain gaze to meet mine. "I care about you. Hell, I love you. And I will find you something as trivial as some outfit any day. You're no burden to me." Hinata smiled happily at my words and leaned in to kiss me. Our lips met once more. I swear I've never been this happy before. Only slightly disappointed when we broke apart, I got up to find Hinata some clothes, but was halted when she grabbed my wrist.

"One more thing," Hinata requested. She then retracted her hand and twiddled her thumbs, obviously anxious. I waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. "Do you think that no, after all that has happened last night and today, we could be considered….together?" I chuckled, amused at how stressed she was over such a little thing. "Hinata, if you'd be my girlfriend, then I'd be the happiest man alive. And there would be no greater honor for me than to be your boyfriend. So yes, I'd love for us to be in a relationship." I kissed her once more and this one lasted longer than those prior. I was figuring out that Hinata's lips held an addictive quality that I found irresistible. So this is what heroin addicts felt like.

* * *

I gathered some clothes for Hinata to wear home while she took a shower. Careful to mind her privacy, I placed the clothes on my bed with a note to clarify that they were for her. Then, I went downstairs to begin preparing breakfast. My father and mother had already left for work, so Hinata and I were alone. I decided to cook her breakfast. I wasn't the best cook, so I decided to stick with pancake mix. Remembering my mother's advice from an occasion before this, I added a dash of vanilla extract to sweeten the mixture.

I had thoroughly cooked three pancakes when Hinata descended the stairs, her dark hair still damp from the shower.

"It smells so good in here," she commented, a smile upon her face. "These look delicious…" As she said that, her stomach growled to indicate its emptiness.

"Go ahead and dig in," I urged, eager to see if I was actually a decent cook. Hinata nodded and fixed her plate. "Would you prefer maple syrup or honey?" I asked.

After a moment of consideration, Hinata replied with honey. "Really?" I grinned. "I thought I was the only one that preferred honey over maple syrup…"

Hinata returned my smile. "I've never seen you so expressive Shino."

"I don't, it's just something about you. I feel so calm," I described, having some trouble explaining my new-found liveliness. "I know that I can reveal my feelings freely around you, I guess."

After we ate, it was only ten in the morning. Although I wanted her to stay, I told Hinata that it might be better if she left for now. I didn't want her father getting suspicious.

"Yeah, you're right Shino," She agreed. It was then that I realized a glaring issue.

"Uh wait, wouldn't your dad flip out if he saw a guy drive you home from a girl's sleep over?"

"Darn, you're right," Hinata answered.

I sighed. "Looks like we'll have to see if Ino can help out…"

"Yeah, but once she finds out that we're dating now….It'll be all over the school by tomorrow morning." Hinata mentioned.

"Yeah, but I'd rather the school be notified that we're together than your father. There's no telling how he'd react." I shuddered. "I just would prefer us not to tell him right away."

Hinata laughed at this. "I understand. My dad can be quite intimidating sometimes. Okay, I'll call Ino now." She pulled out her phone and dialed Ino's number. It took three calls to finally reach the girl. Even though her voice was faint on the phone, I could tell that she was suffering from a mild hangover.

"She'll be here in ten," Hinata informed me once she got off of the phone. "And she was really excited to hear that we spent the night together….She can be a little weird sometimes, huh?"

"Yes, she definitely can." I agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

"SO DID YOU TWO HAVE SEX?!" Ino nearly screamed when Hinata got into the car. Obviously, her hangover wasn't affecting her that badly. Shino had heard her exclamation from his doorstep, having just kissed Hinata goodbye, and menaced at Ino with one of his signature glares. She waved at him nervously before hitting the gas, slamming Hinata abruptly to her seat.

"So fill me in, what happened?!" Ino pressed Hinata for gossip. The shy, dark-haired girl proceeded to explain the events of last night to her friend, who nearly crashed the car when she heard how Shino had confessed his feelings to Hinata.

"HE HAD THE GUTS IN HIM THE WHOLE TIME, I KNEW IT!" Ino proclaimed in a frenzy of excitement. "So guys are dating now, huh?"

Hinata blushed and nodded. "He's taking me out on a date tomorrow after school."

"Aw, that's perfect." Ino could barely contain her glee over her friend's new relationship. She was already planning Shino and Hinata's nuptials in-detail…of course, she wasn't about to tell Hinata that. Ino opted for a swift change of subject. "So how're you gonna tell your old man?"

"I think that we're going to wait a bit….you know my dad…He'd kill any guy that tries to date Hanabi or I."

"Yeah, that is tricky." Ino agreed. She'd just settled on the colors of Shino's and Hinata's wedding to be white and blue, with silver accents….Now which flowers? Ino realized that she needed to carry on the conversation and said, "But you two will figure it!" As she said this, Ino pulled out in front of Hinata's opulent household. "Aaaaand we're here. Bye Hinata!"

"Bye Ino, thanks for doing this!"

"That's what friends are for!" Ino leaned over to Hinata and whispered, "And you better keep me updated on your relationship. I wanna know everything!"

"I-Ino, you can come off as creepy sometimes," Hinata murmured sheepishly.

"But you're still gonna tell me, right?" Ino insisted.

"Yes, yes, I promise," Hinata assured her. "Now, If you'll excuse me." The dark-haired girl exited the car and waved goodbye to her friend.

"Ah," Ino sighed. "I'm so glad that I hooked those two up…Now should the wedding be held in Konoha or out of town…."


End file.
